I'm twenty when I'm with you
by 7team7
Summary: Soulmate AU: Soul marks appear on the skin at age twenty. Sasuke and Sakura meet at age eighteen. They continue crossing paths after they start as classmates.
1. Chapter 1: Classmates

**A/N: **yes this is just me being indulgent with one of my dumb ideas but aren't all my pieces like that? Modern day written in the US context by the way

* * *

Looking back, Sasuke felt bad because he honestly wouldn't have noticed Sakura if it weren't for two things: that curious pink hair and her stellar grades—which were even better than his. At the time, this was a bit of a sore spot for someone as prideful as Sasuke, but these days he's just proud to call Sakura his girlfriend. And his soulmate, of course.

But again, when they first met he hardly paid attention to her and never expected her to play such a large role in his life, let alone become his most precious person.

The Uchiha family moved to Konoha right before Sasuke's final year of high school. His father had been recruited to be the head of the police department and Itachi had landed a job at the local university. He would start out as a teaching assistant, then hopefully become a full fledged professor of anthropology. Sasuke's mother was excited to start working in a plant nursery again, and Konoha offered great land for her to garden in.

His mother's best friend, Kushina, lived in Konoha too, so the move was an easy choice for the family to make. His parents were soulmates, so no matter the circumstance, they would have gone anywhere together. Sasuke looked forward to having someone he could rely on like that, even if he still thought it was gross when his parents kissed in front of him.

Sasuke never particularly cared about forging friendships beyond mere acquaintances, so keeping to himself at a new school for one more year seemed easy enough. He was busy with schoolwork and he always had his family to go home to.

But Naruto, his childhood best friend who pestered him no matter the distance from Oto to Konoha, was determined to get Sasuke integrated into their school's social scene. Naruto's overwhelming presence was enough to make him hardly notice anyone else, let alone a girl who generally kept her nose in a book.

On Sasuke's first day, Itachi dropped him and Naruto off before heading to Konoha University across town. Even as Sasuke was nearing full fledged adulthood, Itachi always liked to keep an eye on him. And he wanted to make sure Naruto was on time too, Kushina and Minato had complained about his oversleeping at many family parties. Itachi was grateful to Naruto for being by Sasuke's side even when he could not be. He was comforted by the idea that in a few years, Sasuke could meet his soulmate who could take care of him and understand him even better than Itachi. He wondered what type of person they would be.

Naruto hopped out of the car and bounded up the front steps, not even bothering to look behind him to see if Sasuke was following. He wasn't.

He was still in the car (shotgun because no, Naruto, get in the back) with his eyes closed. This was going to be quite the trip, wasn't it? Itachi merely patted him on the shoulder and locked and unlocked the doors again, signaling that Sasuke should get out. "Have a good day."

One dark eye cracked open, "I'll try." With a sigh and much grumbling, he got out of the car to join Naruto on the steps before the blonde started yelling. It really didn't take much to set him off, and he was extra excited to have his best friend finally with him at school.

"Hurry up! You have to go to the office and stuff and then I wanna take you to meet everyone!"

Sasuke followed Naruto through the main entrance and he made his way to the office to get his papers in order. The walk to the office should've been a simple affair, but instead Naruto stopped them every two seconds to yell at someone, "HEY! THIS IS SASUKE! HE'S NEW HERE AND HE'S MY BEST FRIEND! OKAY, TALK LATER!" as Sasuke dragged him away. He didn't care about Naruto's other friends, really he didn't.

Sakura and Ino were chatting by the office doors Naruto had disappeared into before he could even greet them. The other set of best friends exchanged a look.

The guy with Naruto had to be new, there was no way they would've overlooked someone so _hot. _At least, those were Ino's words. Sakura kept looking at the door, hoping he would appear again. She just got this _feeling_ in her chest when he walked by, one that she wanted to feel again.

"Forehead? Are you even listening to me?" Ino waved her hand in front of Sakura's face. Sakura blinked and shed her blank expression. She wondered which classes he would be put in.

Inside the office, Sasuke briefly wondered if this school allowed students to dye their hair such a vivid shade of bubblegum.

* * *

It turned out that Sasuke was placed in all of Sakura's classes, so she didn't have to wonder. For some reason, Sakura felt like it would've been a mistake if he was in any other classes but hers. What if his old school went at a slower pace and he needed her help catching up? What if he got lost on campus? What if he forgot his lunch? What if he was her soulmate?

Sakura tried to shake away those kinds of thoughts; it wouldn't do to pine over someone who could very easily have a soul bond with someone who was, well, not her. Soul marks blossomed on the skin at age twenty, so she would probably never know who Sasuke's soulmate was. Sure, a girl could dream, but nothing more. She shouldn't waste precious studying time on a boy. At the moment, getting into college was far more important—at least, that's what she told herself when her thoughts wandered to a certain dark haired classmate.

But despite genuinely wondering if he needed any help transitioning to a new school, Sakura spoke to people who didn't share a single class with her more frequently than she spoke to Sasuke. He was smart and studious, and already after the first week she could tell he wouldn't need her assistance. Beyond academics, Naruto took up a considerable portion of Sasuke's social life. He was just so excited to have his best friend with him, he could hardly stand to let Sasuke out of his sight. Group project? Okay, Sasuke, you'll do all the work and I can do the bibliography? Bathroom break? Naruto swore by the buddy system, so let's go Sasuke! Lunch? Naruto would have ramen with a generous side of Sasuke, please!

Senior year was going to fly by, so Sakura assumed she would miss out on making a new friend out of Sasuke. Even with her days jam packed with senior activities, she found herself looking around to see if Sasuke would show up. Wherever he was, how was he doing? Was he having a good year? (Later, Sasuke would reveal that he was just shy. He felt it was a pity that their assigned seats were never as close as he wanted them to be.)

To say she was surprised when he sought her out at the end of the year would be an understatement.

"You'll make a good valedictorian. I don't like speeches." He placed their final graded math test in front of her. The red ink of their teacher's pen wrote, "What happened?" with a big circle around a clearly careless (and costly) mistake. Grades didn't matter for college anymore, only for final class rankings. For his year's worth of smug looks when he earned a higher score, this was certainly unexpected. Had Sasuke purposely thrown his math grade so Sakura would be number one?

Sasuke walked away with his hands stuffed in his pockets before she could respond. She looked cute when she was surprised, but he knew she would look beautiful when delivering her speech. He noticed that her eyes sparkled when she spoke about something she was passionate about.

He just wasn't quite sure why he cared at all.

* * *

**A/N: **love retsuden telling us how much of a nerd sakura is

Also yes im an anthro major so i made itachi an anthro professor lmfao (or at least, he's on track for tenure lol publish or perish sir)

I hope this series unfolds in a pleasant way aka i hope you like it


	2. Chapter 2: Postmates

It was the summer before heading off to Konoha University and Sasuke was tired of relying on his parents for money.

Rather, he was tired of feeling like he owed his father anything and he was sick of being fussed over by his mother.

He knew most places wouldn't hire him for just the summer, so his options were limited. Their family friend Kakashi had offered to pay him for dog walking, but that meant going outside. Where it was hot. He preferred to either stay at home, or in his car where he could blast the air conditioning and be left alone. And he would rather die than make small talk as an Uber driver.

Staying home meant his mom giving him more lengthy "I'll miss you so much" speeches, so he decided on the obvious option: Postmates.

All he had to do was drive around town, pick up some food, and deliver it. Naruto was happy about this decision because he could ride around in Sasuke's car and steal a french fry or two from customers' orders.

It was another sticky summer evening in Konoha when Sasuke had his first delivery. User Mebuki H. had ordered four sticks of dango from a popular local spot. Sounded easy enough.

When Sasuke secured the food, he pulled up to the specified location and called Mebuki. After a few rings, a rather flustered sounding woman answered, "Hello? Are you Mr. Postmate?"

Mr. Postmate? Sure, that was him. "I'm outside."

"Oh! Already? I don't even have shoes on—Sakura! Can you go get our food for your dear mother?" Sasuke wasn't even listening. He had already gotten out of the car to hand the food off. He knew he had never been to this specific neighborhood or met someone named Mebuki, but why did something about all this feel so familiar?

He was an impatient person. Waiting around to deliver some stupid dango was technically part of his job description, but couldn't this person be ready any faster?

Just as his irritation levels were increasing, the door bangs open and a younger voice shouts, "I'll be out in a sec!"

He takes a step forward just to be face to face with a very breathless Sakura Haruno.

"Oh! It's you."

Nice. Small talk comes so naturally to you, doesn't it, Sakura. If she wasn't red in the face from racing down her stairs and across the house, she was certainly blushing now. Damn. Sakura hadn't seen Sasuke since graduation, but he really was so cute.

Sasuke was about to wordlessly hand the bag to her, but right as her fingers brushed his to grab it, he blurted, "you're not Mebuki."

She giggled and moved some fly away strands of pink out of her face. He had to admit it was nice to see her. She really was so cute.

"Nope, that's my mom! Sorry about that, she wasn't looking at the app like I told her to. Hope you weren't waiting too long?"

If it were anyone else, if she hadn't risen up on her toes ever so slightly, if her voice wasn't so sweet, Sasuke would've made a snide comment, because yes, he was waiting for a long time. He probably even got a mosquito bite.

But this was Sakura and she was smart with pretty hair and something else inexplicable about her made him say, "It's fine." He pushed the bag forward to be completely in her grasp, but leaving it at that felt awkward. He could be friendly if he wanted to be. His mother would've been so pleased. Before turning back to his car, he smirked down at her, "four sticks? Someone hungry?"

Sakura squeaked before waving her free hand quickly in front of her, "we haven't had a chance to go to the store! And it's Friday! We all get hungry don't we?" (Yeah, you idiot, of course he gets hungry how else would he survive? And you want to be a doctor?)

Sasuke looked at her for a moment, then nodded once. "Enjoy your food."

And he was off. As he drove away from the Haruno house, he couldn't help but glance into his rear view mirror. Sakura was making her way into the house, but it almost seemed like she caught his eye, even all the way down the street. The feeling in Sasuke's chest made him want to drive right back.

No, that can't be right. It must be the heat affecting his brain.

A little ping from the Postmates app brought him back to reality.

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**A/N: **do we see the theme yet haaa hope you like it. I have most of the next chapter written, so I'm hoping after i get some feedback *wink* I'll be more inspired to finish it, and the rest of this fic.


	3. Chapter 3: Floor mates

**A/N:** thank youuu for your comments and support on the previous chapters they really make me happy!

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Sakura had just moved into her new college dorm and everything was looking good so far. Scented candles that were technically against the rules to light? Check. Too many pillows on the bed for her to use at once? Check. Cute pictures of her and Ino all over the wall? Check. She left her door propped open in hopes of someone stopping by to say hello while she continued to unpack and tidy up her space.

So when _the biggest spider she'd ever seen _decided to drop down to her floor from the middle of the ceiling, the entire floor must have heard her piercing scream.

She was frozen. Of all things to greet her on the first day, a big ugly spider had to be it?

Someone—her savior—knocked on her door frame,"everything okay?" (The deep voice sounded slightly out of breath, as if they heard her scream and came running.)

"Can you please come kill this spider—oh! It's you!"

Sakura had her fair share of embarrassing moments in life, but this one was looking like it would take the cake for "most mortification felt at one time."

Sasuke Uchiha, her secret crush since the day she saw him one year ago, and who she hadn't really seen much of since he delivered her food, was leaned against the doorway looking an illegal level of handsome. All while Sakura thought she was going to _die _because of this very unwelcome spider.

He nodded once to acknowledge her, like yes, it's me. Of course. Who else would the universe bring to you?

Then he took a look down at the floor and Sakura felt marginally better when his eyes widened at the size of the spider. But then she realized he has to be kind of insane because he marched into her room with his bare palm open, as if he was going to slap the spider out of existence and into the next dimension.

"Ah, ah, wait! I'll grab you a tissue," she said as she gingerly stepped around him to avoid walking directly over the spider. But he was standing right in front of the shelf with the tissues, and if he moved any further into her room, _he_ would be the one standing over the spider, and that just wasn't okay either. So Sakura had to slide against him to pluck a tissue from the shelf as Sasuke stood rigidly in front of her, keeping watch of the spider. She was still standing awkwardly behind him, not wanting to step any closer to the unwanted guest, so she reached around his very broad back to hand him the tissue.

Sasuke moved too quickly for her to notice the faint redness dusted across his cheeks, but after he crushed the spider with far more force than needed, he muttered, "let me know if more show up." It simply wouldn't do to have the floor infested with easily exterminated spiders, especially if they insisted on bothering his pink haired floor mate.

* * *

It turned out Sasuke and Sakura's schedules aligned just as well as they did in high school. They took many of the same entry level courses and therefore left the dorm at the same time each day. Sakura's chattering helped him wake up and prepare for morning lecture. Even during their downtime, the two seemed to drift together naturally. It mostly started when Sasuke stuck around the library at night until Sakura was ready to pack up so he could walk her home. It unsettled him to think of someone so small, so easily startled by a spider, to walk in the dark by herself.

She had yawned and closed her laptop, signaling that she was calling it a night. Without a word, Sasuke finished up what he was working on and started putting his things away as well. They got up from their chairs at the same time, and Sakura's brain was so fried from studying, she simply thought it was a coincidence. He was glad she wasn't too tired to smile at him.

"You're leaving too? Perfect, we can walk together," Sakura said as they made their way to the library's exit.

Yeah, together, perfect. All that.

It turned into Sasuke often knocking on Sakura's door with a simple, "study room's open, saved you a spot." Sakura made sure to bring Sasuke a bit of food from the dining hall on weekends since Sasuke tended to sleep in past the breakfast hours. He always picked up a copy of the school paper and handed it to her with the pages turned to the crossword puzzle.

Even when she convinced him to take kickboxing classes with her at the gym and he learned of her terrifying strength, he still insisted on walking her home at night. Although she clearly didn't need his protection, he enjoyed her company. With fewer students out and about, the cool night air and twinkling stars were a comfortable and intimate setting. Did the moon notice the way they looked at each other?

Sakura had spent many nights wondering why Sasuke occupied her thoughts so often when he hardly interacted with her during high school. Why did he fit into her life schedule so easily these days? Why was it so easy to be around someone who had a tendency to freeze people out? She didn't want to get a big head, but it felt like he paid particular attention to her.

* * *

The worst part of living on the same floor as Sasuke, though, had to be the way he came in and out of the shower with only a towel wrapped around his waist. Once, when she was trying to apply a face mask by the sink, she asked him why he didn't put on a robe and wasn't he cold? He scooted past her by placing a hand on her lower back, "Hn. A bit. Lend me yours?" Sasuke stepped into the shower and shut the door before Sakura could respond.

Sakura, clad in a fluffy red robe, had to bite her arm to keep from screaming. Didn't he know it was a safety hazard to look like..._that_? Truly a distraction. She should be able to put on a mud mask in peace.

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**A/N: **yes I lived on a co-ed floor my freshman year and yes we shared bathrooms, it was actually a fun gathering space but also gross because ew teenage boys

If anyone needs a layout of the spaces I can try to show you on twitter lol


	4. Chapter 4: Drinking mates

**A/N: **kings cup is a drinking game with a bunch of rules based on a pack of cards, when you pull an 8, you choose someone to be your "mate" and every time you have to drink, they drink too lol

* * *

They made quite the picture. Sasuke was having trouble walking in his inebriated state, so Sakura had her arm around him and he was pressed into her side for support, despite their notable size difference. His feet were dragging all over the place and Sakura silently thanked her hours spent lifting in the gym, she wouldn't have had the strength otherwise. She hoped he would cooperate and not throw up all over her, but Sasuke was full of surprises.

"You're good at taking care of people, you know that? You should be a doctor or something," he slurred, shaking his index finger.

"That's the plan, Sasuke, that's the plan," she sighed as she blew some hair out of her face. They had become closer than she ever would have expected, given the way he almost seemed to avoid her in high school. Normally she would've jumped at the chance to talk about her future profession, passionate as she was, but he was heavy and she was drunk and 2 am was not the best time to discuss med school.

"It's really warm," he commented.

"Alcohol will do that to you. Keep walking, it's cold outside." Her buzz was wearing off as the breeze bit through her thin, red tank top. Was Sasuke that much more of a lightweight than she was?

Sasuke's stumbling steps came to a halt, forcing Sakura to stop too. "No," he clarified, "you're really warm. It's nice. Alcohol doesn't feel this nice. Don't like alcohol that much." A hiccup punctuated his statement.

Sakura tried to ignore it, he was drunk and it was 2 am. The confession—if it could even be called that—probably meant nothing. The light at the crosswalk changed to green just as they approached, so Sakura tried to drag her companion along a little farther. They just needed to make progress, no matter how slow. She readjusted her hold on him before crossing the street. She tried not to gasp when she felt his fingers dig a little harder into her side, gripping her firmly right where her tank top left a gap of skin exposed above her jeans. Even when he was right next to her, every action seemed to be a surprise, and her body reacted accordingly. She shivered, but not from the cold.

They finally made it to their dorm, and the dingy lighting and stained carpet had never seemed more comforting. Her room was closer to the elevator, so she let herself in with the sole intention of making sure Sasuke drank some water, then she'd send him on his way.

"Sasuke, where's your key?" she asked after he downed one of her emergency plastic bottles of water. They were standing in the middle of her room and she was very ready to get some sleep.

He smiled dazedly at her, as if she had made a joke or he had a secret. She didn't understand until he mumbled, "in my pocket." It didn't matter which pocket, there was no way she was going to fish it out for him. She hoped he would be so inclined as to be a big boy and get his own key out, but then he surprised her yet again, and stepped forward. She thought he was going to slump against her, so she brought her hands up to support him. It wasn't his intention, but he leaned into her anyway as he sighed, "thank you, Sakura."

And he was really warm and her room smelled good and her roommate was away for the weekend, so he ended up staying the night, taking up half of her bed. She made sure he was positioned in a way where he wouldn't choke on his own vomit, then tried to go to sleep. Despite exhaustion weighing down on her bones, Sasuke's presence vibrated throughout the room and kept her awake.

Sasuke, on the other hand, had the greatest night of sleep. As he drifted off, nuzzling closer to the warm body next to him, he wondered if his comfort had anything to do with Sakura's presence.

* * *

"That's why you didn't answer my texts? Are you serious right now?"

Sakura winced as Ino's voice blared through her phone. In her attempt to get herself and Sasuke home safely, she had neglected to answer her best friend's text messages. Ino did not take being ignored very kindly. Girl code was highly important to her.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Not really something I expected to happen, but it probably won't happen again, so...sorry?"

"Won't happen again? Oh, Sakura. There's no way you _actually_ expect to _not_ have another late night with Sasuke?" Her suggestive tone rang loud and clear over the phone. "How did he you even end up like that anyway? Tell me everything or I'm driving to KU and forcing it out of you."

So Sakura recounted her night in painstaking detail, like any best friend would.

* * *

It was the usual scene, tons of college kids packed into a house with the music blaring. The kitchen table had been appropriated for round of King's Cup. Without even realizing, Sakura ended up next to Sasuke at the table. That had been happening lately.

Cards were drawn and the game was carrying on at a normal pace. When they reached Sasuke, he drew an eight of hearts. The table cried out the rule as they had for every other pull, "eight is mates!"

Sasuke twisted slightly and poked Sakura's shoulder. She was clearly confused by the choice, but he shrugged and said, "You haven't had to drink in a while." She was surprised he noticed.

He put his drink down on the table to subtly wipe his palms on his pants. Had she noticed the way he always seemed to be choosing her these days? Sasuke tried to reassure himself. Sakura was too nice to confront him about it in front of all these people.

If she was counting (which she was, she was just in denial), she would've noticed how often Sasuke seemed to pick her for one thing or another. But in the middle of an intense round of King's Cup was no time to dwell on a certain someone and his inexplicable actions. It wasn't that weird to study together everyday, right? And going to the dining halls for dinner afterwards was only the natural progression, right?

Just their luck, as the game went on they had to drink _a lot. _They were both pretty good at holding their liquor, but Sasuke's ability to hide his drunken state meant they continued for far too long. Someone really should've told him to tap out. As the game was winding down, he turned to her again, his mate throughout the entire game, and whispered, "hey. I'm drunk."

Sakura smiled at him, "I can tell."

His eyes widened. She could? Could she just read his mind or something? He really didn't think it was that obvious.

Sakura winced. Had she acted too familiar with him? Since when did she know his drunken behavior so well as to call him on it?

"Don't tell anyone though," he added very seriously. He trusted her, but he wanted to make himself very clear.

"Promise," she said while holding up her pinky. They pinky promised on it, as though they were discussing something much more important. Sakura felt like the moment stood for much more, but before she knew it, the game was starting up again. They kept having to down cup after cup, but Sakura didn't stop them even though she was privy to Sasuke's state of inebriation. She almost blew their cover when he gave her a look that seemed to signal that he had reached his limit. His expression was so unusual for him, it made her want to crack up laughing. Times like these reminded her that he was human.

As the game ended and Sakura made the executive decision to get the two of them home before more shenanigans could ensue, Sasuke laughed drunkenly, "mates!" They drew the eight-mates card more than anyone else. It was an extra mate-y night.

"Yup, Sasuke, mates. Mates go home together, right? They can make it home in one piece, right?"

Sasuke furrowed his brow. He was really hammered, and he _wanted_ to say of course, he would go anywhere with her—because that was the truth—but he held back. He vaguely remembered Naruto complaining to him in high school about how Sakura was scary, so he had a feeling he should listen to her right now even though he knew she treated him and Naruto very differently. Wait, but he wasn't going to defy her? What was going on anymore?

"Home," he finally concluded, "we should go home." A bed sounded fantastic right about then, but then he almost whined at the thought of walking all the way home in the cold.

Sakura tugged him out the door, but he kept tripping over his own feet so she encouraged him by wrapping an arm around his waist, "come on Sasuke, we'll go together. See, not so hard, right?"

Sakura was such a firm presence in his life, it only made sense that she would be the one supporting him on the way home. Her warm, soft body only made it more pleasant. He threw his own arm around her shoulders (oh, her skin is so soft?) and allowed himself to be guided out into the night.

* * *

**A/N: **tbh not in love with this but I just wanted to get it out there, sorry for the delay and thank you for all your comments :)


	5. Chapter 5: Roomates

**A/N: **Hello please read! Please check my twitter (plumbIossoms, second L is an i) or tumblr (7team7) for a fanfic giveaway. All the details will be there, but it's basically to support one of my favorite kpop groups _ Thanks everyone!

* * *

Someone had to be testing her.

Sakura liked to believe she wasn't terribly unlucky. She normally managed to catch the bus before it drove away and she had yet to trip on the stairs up to their apartment. The universe seemed to like to crush this notion into a million pieces when the moving company was unable to deliver her bed _and _the couch to her new apartment until one whole month after the start of school due to a major stock mix up.

Her apartment, nevermind that she was sharing with Sasuke, was supposed to be a cozy affair, but how could she relax at all when there was a severe lack of a sectional in the living area?

As for a good night's sleep, Sakura dragged out her blankets out of their boxes and laid them down on the floor. It would have to do for now.

"You don't have to sleep on the floor," Sasuke—her roommate—spoke from the doorway. He was just about finished unpacking and was ready to wish Sakura goodnight.

"Yeah, as much as I would like that, I'm not sleeping on our kitchen table, Naruto already suggested that. Just sucks that my bed won't be here for a while."

Sakura noticed the stiffness in Sasuke's posture as he stood in the doorway, but now he just looked confused. Was something bothering him?

"No," he began slowly, "you can sleep in my bed."

"I couldn't do that to you! I would feel so bad making you sleep on the floor."

"Sakura. You would sleep in my bed, but I would sleep with you. Because it's my bed. We would both sleep there."

_Oh. _

"Are you..sure?" Sakura began hesitantly. What if she snored? He scoffed and Sakura got the message: why would he offer if he wasn't sure? Sasuke was not the type to inconvenience himself just to be nice.

He smirked at her, "besides, it's not the first time we've shared a bed." Sakura covered her face with her hands, blushing, "I didn't think you remembered that."

He shrugged as he turned to lead her back to his room, right next door. "Of course I remember." Best sleep of his life, how could he forget?

Sakura gingerly untucked her side of the bed (when did it already become her side?) as Sasuke slipped under the covers. It was so like Sasuke to have already made his bed when they had just moved in. She felt bad for coming in and messing it up, but his bed _was _awfully big. It would need some breaking in and she had a feeling he could use some company. He once mentioned he had nightmares.

Sasuke got himself settled under the covers, wondering how close was too close to lay next to her. Her warmth next to him was comforting. He hoped he didn't have one of his more disruptive nightmares. What if he smelled bad? He wasn't sure why he was so worried about impressing her, when it was just Sakura. _Right_, _just Sakura,_ he told himself.

They both eventually stopped shifting around, laying flat on their backs with their hands folded on their respective stomachs, staring at the ceiling. "Um," Sakura started.

Sasuke turned to face her, picking out the glow of her eyes even in the dark. She seemed awfully small in this giant bed. "Yes?"

"Nothing," she said quickly, her head back to face the ceiling.

"Okay."

"Yup."

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

The sound of their breathing was obvious, but not uncomfortable. Sakura didn't know what it was, the exhaustion from unpacking, maybe, but she felt herself curling into her usual sleeping position, back to Sasuke. He had a feeling she was going to steal all the blankets at some point in the night, so after her breathing deepened and he stopped worrying about waking her up, he loosely wrapped his body around hers. For warmth, of course.

When they woke up, they said nothing, cheeks pink as they prepared breakfast. Perhaps the strangest part of it all was that it felt natural and comfortable.

So comfortable that they slept in the same bed every night, waking each morning without a word as if they weren't tangled up together just moments before. When Sakura's bed finally arrived, she made a big fuss about how uncomfortable it was and how cold the weather had turned just a month after they started school. Sasuke didn't say anything when she crawled into his bed every night.

* * *

_A gentle kiss to his cheek and he felt like he was burning. Her hand was placed on his chest to steady her, but it singed his skin. She laid her head on his shoulder, sighing in contentment. He was on edge, and he willed his body to relax, to melt into her like she had melted into him. _

_What was this?_

_He felt like he was watching himself from outside his body as his hand, his dream hand, came up to stroke pink hair. Only one person had pink hair and he would only dream of one person. _

_She looked up at him, smiling that smile, _his smile_, "Sasuke, I love—"_

Sasuke awoke with a start, heart pounding wildly. What was going on? When Sakura first started burrowing down in his bed each night, he experienced wonderful, dreamless sleep. His waking thoughts were already filled with cotton candy hair and jade eyes and a feeling of belonging, and it looked like it would be that way for his dreams too.

Despite the relatively mellow dream, he was breathing hard. Since when did emotional intimacy get him so hot and bothered? He slowly peeled himself away from Sakura's form (when did he move so close to her?) to find her still asleep, looking like an angel. He didn't want to disturb her, so he slipped out of bed as noiselessly as possible to get some water from the kitchen. He needed to cool off.

He was gulping down a glass when he heard the floorboards creak. "What are you doing? Did I wake you up?" His heart started to break—she looked sleepy and adorable with the comforter wrapped around her like a cape. Sakura rubbed her eyes, squinting at him. Instead of answering him right away, she moved to stand in front of him and rested her head against his bare chest. He had no choice but to abandon his glass.

His arm was wrapped around her and the comforter when she finally spoke, her voice scratchy with sleep, "was wondering where you went. I'm cold." She scooted even closer to him, her entire body pressed up against his. He wondered if her habit of burrowing close to him at night, of stealing his body heat, had anything to do with his dreams. If she kept standing pressed up against him like this he'd be having distinctly dirtier dreams.

Sasuke squeezed her briefly and placed an almost accidental kiss to the top of her head. He started guiding her back to his bed—_their bed—_wondering why everything came so easy with her. Sasuke was tired and still a little thirsty, but suddenly getting Sakura warm and back to sleep was the only thing that mattered. Because he cared about her.

Only after they settled back into bed did he realize she had taken his shirt to wear as pajamas. He fell asleep spooning her, his hand wrapped in the excess fabric of the shirt she was wearing. Even if he dreamed of her again, he wouldn't be upset.

* * *

Living with Sasuke was easier than she thought, if she ignored the almost uncomfortable level of attraction between the two of them. He cooked a lot and reminded her to take breaks from studying. He was a clean person and always smelled good, even when he came back from the gym. He allowed her to put a single cherry blossom sticker on his black laptop case. He was always there to welcome her home or pick her up if she didn't want to walk alone. And it didn't hurt that he was so damn attractive.

When he wasn't there, she felt like her body ached and yearned for his presence. He convinced her to share his location with her, you know, for safety purposes, and she found herself checking it almost constantly. They lived together, but why did she miss him so much?

She found excuses to hang out with him, even turning down other plans because watching a movie with him always sounded better. She tried chalking it up to being a homebody, but she never minded going out if he was with her. She studied more diligently because she told herself she could then reward herself with some Sasuke time afterwards. It felt a little pathetic, but it was really what kept her going.

He forced himself to leave the house, not wanting her to be able to notice just how attached to her he had become. He thought she might want her space, thought she might find him too intense. They were roommates, they didn't have to spend every waking hour together, right? Even though that's more along the lines of what he wanted.

He took care of her in ways he hoped seemed casual enough. He always just so happened to cook enough food for her to enjoy the leftovers, always telling her he "was going that direction anyway" as soon as she called him to come get her, always checking up on her. But he definitely never took care of his freshman year roommate like this.

He felt pained thinking about the future. They wouldn't be roommates forever. Thinking of another person—her soulmate—taking care of Sakura left a bad taste in his mouth. Sakura was a caring person, she'd make a good roommate for anyone, but he hoped she treated him extra special. It was childish, but he liked feeling special in her eyes; it had a different connotation and spread warmth throughout his chest.

* * *

Sasuke was out of the house—_again, where was he lately?_—so Sakura took advantage of being alone to talk on the phone with Ino. She had a lot to update her on.

She tried to steer the conversation towards safe topics like classes and family, but Ino kept bringing it back to Sasuke. "It sounds like you spend an awful lot of time with him, Forehead. Wouldn't it be cool if he was your soulmate? It is kind of weird how well you get along—I mean, I never expected it. He barely talked to anyone else in high school."

Sakura sighed, for once laying on her own bed. "It's not like that, we're just roommates! You know it's only natural for two humans to bond when they spend a lot of time together. Shouldn't you know that, miss psychology major?" Sakura felt like she was grasping at straws trying to justify herself. This reminded her of the time she had to convince her mom to let her live with Sasuke: she really had to emphasize that everyone else had roommates already and this situation was better than living with strangers and they were simply compatible based on their living habits. Plus, he could kill bugs for her.

"Yeah, yeah, but I don't think _anyone _would bond or whatever the way you and Sasuke have. Why won't you even consider the possibility of him being your soulmate? Is he not good enough for you?"

A strange feeling bubbled up in Sakura's stomach. There was nothing wrong with Sasuke as her soulmate, quite the opposite actually: she wasn't sure she could stand seeing him have a soulbond with anyone else. Their connection felt strong enough already, how intense would his soulmate connect with him? So she pushed any thoughts of soulmates out of her brain to save herself the heartbreak.

She changed the subject, "_whatever, _it doesn't matter that much. What about you? Any cute boys on your end?" Ino chattered incessantly for the rest of the phone call, and Sakura was grateful for it, but she just kept wondering when Sasuke would come home. Her days were always better with him in them.

* * *

"TenTen invited me to a party tonight, but I don't really wanna go." _Am I being lame? Can you just tell me to stay home?_

"Then don't." _I'm being serious, don't go._

"I don't know if I'll know anybody there besides her." _But at home, there's you. _

"Want me to go with you?" Sasuke grimaced as he offered, remembering his sloppy behavior the last time they had attended a party together. _I'd go anywhere if you asked._

"No, no, you should just stay home and relax. It probably won't be that fun anyway." _I don't want to bother you, but it would definitely be better with you._

"You haven't been out in a while, you never know." _I've gotta make this less suspicious. _

"I don't know. I actually don't really feel like going." _I've been waiting for you here._

"Then just stay home." _Please stay here. With me._

"Okay."

Sakura was glad she didn't have to ask outright, glad he could read her expressions well enough to coax her into doing what she really wanted. Sasuke was relieved she agreed. He would've missed her if she went, and the thought of her forcing herself into situations unsettled him. If she stayed home, he could at least try to make sure she was comfortable.

* * *

"I don't feel like cooking tonight. Can we order in? Or...can you make us something if I do the dishes?"

"I already started preheating the oven. I'm making your favorite."

* * *

"Are you boiling water?"

"Yeah. Should be enough for two cups of tea."

"Okay. Come sit on the couch, I'll get the blanket."

* * *

Sasuke opened the fridge, ready to make himself a big breakfast before his midterm. Sakura had already left for class, so he wouldn't even get to eat with her and he felt himself pouting a bit. He smiled when he noticed a hot pink sticky note on top of a plastic bag with a sandwich, "_good luck on your test! See you tonight. 3"_ The sandwich looked like it was stacked high with tomatoes.

* * *

"You never put medication on your cuts?" Sakura asked as she cleaned up Sasuke's hand. He was being careless with a kitchen knife.

Sasuke shrugged, trying not to flinch from the stinging. "Why should I? I've always been fine before."

"Because you need to take care of yourself, Sasuke," she admonished gently, a sad smile graced her features.

Sasuke suddenly felt the need to make it better, even though he was the injured one. "Okay. I will," he promised. This seemed to placate her marginally, but he continued softly, "Thank you, Sakura."

That put the sparkle back in her eyes.

* * *

"I washed a few of your shirts that got mixed in with my laundry. They're folded on the bed," Sakura mentioned when Sasuke came home. She said it like it was an accident when they both knew she plucked a shirt out of his drawer whenever she pleased.

He gave her a lazy half smile, "what would I ever do without you?" He meant it as a joke, but he knew he shouldn't have said it as soon as the light died in her eyes. The room's atmosphere became thick with tension.

They wouldn't live together forever. Neither of them knew where life after college would take them. What would they do without each other?

"Let's just eat dinner now, yeah?"

* * *

"I'm home."

"Welcome back."

* * *

**A/N: ***twice voice* you make me feel special

Ughh they are so domestic and they don't even realize it. By the end I was kind of just trying to write vignettes to give an idea of how they are together.

One more chapter to go! I tried to make this one longer. Like I said at the top, please do enter my giveaway if you're interested!


	6. Chapter 6: Soulmates

**A/N: **last chapter :) almost 3k words woohoo please enjoy

* * *

Age twenty.

Everyone looked forward to adulthood as marked by turning eighteen. Everyone couldn't wait to get past nineteen, just to be that much closer to twenty. While it was rare to never meet your soulmate, everyone hoped to be able to spend the rest of their days with their soulmate, as teased by turning age twenty.

Age twenty was when soulmarks appeared on the body. Plenty of people met their soulmate past the age of twenty, but just having the soulmark to look at, having that first meeting to look forward to, was exhilarating. It honestly helped Sakura get out of bed each morning, knowing that her soulmate was out there — but then she'd look back at Sasuke and feel torn. What if it wasn't him? Could it be anyone else?

Some young couples would be disappointed when their significant other didn't have their corresponding mark, but they usually knew in their heart of hearts that any romantic relationship outside of a soulmate wouldn't quite measure up. A soulbond went beyond just choosing each other. You could love a lot of different people in a lot of different ways: as a friend, as a teacher, as a family member. But you can only love one person as your soulmate.

.

At age twenty, Sakura was beautiful.

She had always been pretty, had always been cute, but she truly bloomed as a young adult. Maturity and confidence suited her.

At age twenty, Sasuke was beautiful.

He had been praised for his looks all his life, but his heart felt lighter than ever with each passing day and it was reflected in the way he smiled more often. A greater sense of peace suited him.

.

Sakura woke up on her twentieth birthday to a purple diamond decorating her once detested forehead. She felt beautiful. She had accepted it as one of her defining features and something about the placement of her soulmark just felt right. It made sense that whoever her soulmate was, they would love her forehead too. It was childish, but she used to have plenty of daydreams about her handsome, yet elusive soulmate kissing her "charming" forehead. Sometimes, before she fell asleep completely, she thought she felt a pair of lips ghost across her forehead.

More importantly, a girl can dream, but a twenty year old can wake up each morning and choose the love herself. Maybe she'd be the one kissing her soulmate's forehead.

Sasuke immediately noticed the appearance of Sakura's soulmark when she came into the kitchen for her birthday breakfast, but chose not to say anything besides happy birthday and congratulations. It didn't make sense to pine over a girl who belonged with someone else, no matter what his heart told him. Right?

The pull between the two was undeniable, but neither wanted to be disappointed by mismatched soulmarks. They could just be _really, really _good friends. Sasuke wasn't sure if he could handle it. Just being friends would never feel like enough for him.

The days at school came and went, with the unofficial couple spending more and more time together. (Roommates can't avoid each other forever!) Summer used to be what they looked forward to most, a time they anticipated for weeks: sweet freedom, a break from classes, the warm sun kissing their skin. They'd both still be in Konoha for the summer, but they would be living in their respective family homes and Sakura had a feeling Mebuki wouldn't take too kindly to Sasuke constantly sleeping over.

Sasuke's birthday couldn't come any sooner. He just wanted to weight on his chest to be lifted, he just wanted to _know _already. Then he could cope with the aftermath. Then he could go back to school and throw himself into his work. But he had been having trouble sleeping without her. How would he explain to his soulmate that he dreamed of someone else?

Sakura was counting down the days, too. After July ended she would know if she had to look elsewhere for her soulmate. It terrified her to think of letting Sasuke go. She wasn't sure if she could ever just be friends with him. Knowing him, living with him, was a privilege she never wanted to be without.

.

To his surprise, Sasuke's soulmark manifested in his left eye. He now saw the world through one familiar dark eye, and another purple eye. It would certainly take some getting used to. Maybe he should grow out his bangs? What would Sakura think?

He had only just woken up and examined his new eye in the bathroom mirror when the doorbell rang. He sighed, hoping it wasn't Naruto. He just wanted some peace this morning. He was incredibly pleased to open the door to pink hair instead of blonde.

Sakura had shown up to his house to wish him a happy birthday in person. She had missed him. If she wasn't his soulmate, this was going to be embarrassing. But it couldn't be helped, she couldn't stay away.

His left eye pulsed gently the moment he laid eyes on Sakura and her purple soulmark. There was a relaxing, cooling sensation running through his body, like ice had finally thawed away, melted by spring sunshine, and only leaving water. He couldn't remember ever feeling this kind of relief.

Sakura's eyes, still his favorite green, widened when she saw him. She had to feel it too, the pull between them. She was silent for a moment, stunned by the revelation, until she finally breathed out, "oh, it's you. Of course. Of course it's you." It had always been him, but the confirmation made the rest of the world fall away, her thoughts were only _SasukeSasukeSasuke_. She kept staring at that beautiful, fated mark on his eye. Belatedly, she noticed how his hair had gotten longer.

Sasuke tugged Sakura inside his house, hoping his family wouldn't bother them. He placed a kiss (the first of many) on her forehead, right on her soulmark. If it wasn't her, then he wasn't Sasuke. He knew he could be the best version of himself with Sakura by his side. She was pressed up close against his body just breathing in his scent when he finally decided to tease her, "yes, it's me. Were you expecting someone else?"

"What would you have done if it wasn't me?"

"I don't want to think about that."

She didn't continue the conversation, not trusting herself to hold back the tears. She didn't want to think about life without each other either. Sure, she could've gone on to do plenty of things without him, like graduate and get a job, but part of her would have always been a little empty.

Their soul marks had a particular feel, a gentle buzz, as if they were better versions of themselves now that they could safely fall into each other. Sakura liked to think that if they were superheroes, her power would come from her forehead, and his from his eyes. They'd make quite the world-saving duo. Perhaps in another life.

"You look good. You look cool," she finally spoke again into the quiet darkness of his entryway. The Uchiha household was only just waking up.

"Thanks, but don't you kind of have to think that?"

"You're my soulmate, I'm attracted to you for reasons beyond just physical."

"So you think I'm ugly? You're stuck with an ugly soulmate?"

She smiled up at him as she cupped the left side of his face, the side adorned with his new soul mark, "I never said that. I don't think you're ugly, Sasuke, far from it. You're a very beautiful person. But I do think you're just a little snot who already knew that and wanted to hear me say it."

He smirked then sighed, "maybe. You're my soulmate, can't hide anything from you. I guess I have to confess now."

"I already know what you're going to say," she started dramatically, holding up a hand, "Sakura, you're perfect and beautiful and smart and I love you. I know, I know. I can't read your mind, but I _do_ know these things."

"Annoying."

.

When he told his family, his mother huffed and asked if he knew before and that's why he was so insistent on living with her during school. He had just shrugged. How was he supposed to know?

Well, maybe, in a way, he did know. Had known for a long time. Who else could it have been if not Sakura? It was always going to be Sakura.

Sakura helped his mother make him a birthday breakfast and it felt like she belonged in the Uchiha household. She belonged near him. He could safely expect a lifetime of birthday breakfasts from her. Anything less would feel like robbery.

Being twenty would treat them well. So would all the years to come because they finally, truly had each other.

.

"Does this mean we're going to keep living together?"

"We already renewed our lease for next year."

"I meant forever."

"We'll see," he teased lightly, "what if you become an awful roommate this year?"

"Awful roommate or not, I have a feeling we're stuck together."

He tapped her on the forehead, "not sure why you think that. I'm sure you could shake me if you wanted." Sakura's hand came to touch the spot his fingers left, and she blushed. "Not sure why I'd ever want to get rid of you. Who else would warm my bed at night?"

"You're lucky you don't snore."

"You're lucky you're cute. You're so mean to me."

Sasuke stepped even closer to her, lowering his face to be eye level with her. "Sorry. Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?" he breathed. Sakura blushed deeper, stammering like a fool. She kissed him hard just to shut herself up.

.

The rest of the summer was spent in easy companionship. Life felt less rushed knowing they'd be together no matter the season. If anything, time felt like it was going backwards as they did all the things couples do. Sakura knew about Sasuke's greatest ambitions and fears, but she was still shy when holding his hand in public.

Sasuke learned that his girlfriend, his soulmate, liked to call everything a date: a dinner date, a FaceTime date, a movie date, a study date, a shopping date. It was cute. It was nice that someone looked forward to spending time with him, even when he was grumpy. But to be honest, he was rarely grumpy around Sakura.

He was exceedingly good to her. Just because two people had a soulbond, it didn't always mean their relationship was perfect. Like anything else, it required effort. But it was easy together. He would always pick her, always see her, always think of her. It was hard not to.

And she had always treated him with more kindness than he felt he could ever deserve.

.

"When we go back to school and meet new people, what should we introduce each other as?"

"Won't I just call you my soulmate? It would be a little excessive to introduce you as my roommate who is also my girlfriend and most precious person and best friend—oh, did I mention my soulmate? We wouldn't make very many friends going around like that," he huffed, cheeks coloring in embarrassment as he realized how much he said out loud.

"Wow," Sakura smiled cheekily, "I didn't know you felt that way about me, Sasuke."

"Yes you did," he sighed in exasperation as he rolled his eyes. And if she didn't, he had plenty of time to prove it to her. After all, they were only twenty years old. He only hoped she'd believe him before a lifetime went by.

.

"I hate moving. I hate packing. I hate unpacking," Sakura grumbled as she set down her heavy box full of clothes in the center of her room and looked around at all the work she still had to do. It didn't really make sense to keep two rooms anymore, but she needed somewhere to store her clothing and books for now.

Sasuke brought in a second box also labeled as _Sakura's clothes. _"We'll only have to do it a few more times. Then when we graduate we can buy a house and live there forever and ever. There, no more moving or packing and unpacking."

He said it matter-of-factly, but it still made her heart flutter. She turned away from her boxes, hands clasped behind her back and asked him eagerly, "so what kind of house were you thinking about?"

.

"How many books do you own? There's no way you had to buy all of these for classes."

Sakura glanced over at Sasuke tearing the tape of yet another box full of books. "Some of those are for self study, some are for class, others are just to read for fun. Don't you have a lot too?"

"No, not this many. because I'm a normal person. You got class valedictorian for a reason."

"Because you gave it to me."

"We both know that's not really true. I simply knocked myself out of the running and did you a little favor," Sasuke said. It was a little embarrassing to think about how even then, even when they were nothing more than classmates, he was still whipped for her. He supposed he better get used to it.

.

Sakura's stomach growled and she realized she had been so preoccupied with unpacking that she didn't eat much during the day. But since they had just moved back into their apartment, the cabinets were bare. She decided to treat herself a little and order in. Right before she ran downstairs to grab it ("It says my Postmate is here with my order!"), Sasuke joked, "don't fall in love with the guy."

Sakura gave him a meaningful look before she headed out the door, "I couldn't even if I tried."

.

"Why do you still use a shower caddy? I haven't used mine since we lived in the dorms." Sasuke barged into the still steamy bathroom to brush his teeth after Sakura had showered. He felt a little pervy because he at first was disappointed to see that she was all wrapped up in a fluffy robe, but she did look adorable, so he couldn't complain.

"I have a lot of stuff and I like it to be organized in one place. Problem?"

"Hm, you do have a lot," he agreed as he started poking around. "Ew, why would you put snail mucus on your face?"

"It's good for your skin, I swear! Try it sometime. Makes you glowy and stuff." But even with the face mask nights Sakura insisted they do together, she had a feeling she was glowing for a reason outside of her skin care. Maybe this soulmark of hers had some sort of youth preserving powers too because she seriously looked _great. _

.

"It's been such a long week and we just started classes," Sakura complained. She came home from lecture, opened up her laptop only to shut it immediately.

"It's Friday," Sasuke offered in reassurance. "We can just stay in, have a drink or two."

That sounded awfully appealing. Her summer internship allowed her to shadow a doctor, one Tsunade Senju who became her mentor and introduced her to more alcohol than any college party ever had. Sakura eyed the cabinet she stocked last weekend. Drunk Sasuke meant pink cheeks and whispered confessions.

The week had felt like it was dragging on, but it would end on a high note.

.

"I'm back," Sasuke announced, removing his shoes by the door and dropping off his backpack.

"Welcome home," Sakura greeted warmly from the couch. "How was your test?"

"Fine, the usual. Just glad it's over — What is it? What are you doing?"

Sakura had been sitting with a blanket covering her lap when he walked in, but she had raised it to gather up under her chin. His questioning gaze and dark eyes made her want to cover her face completely. "Nothing," she answered with a quiet reluctance.

He crossed the room to place a kiss on her forehead and examine her face. "Are you cold? Are you sick? Your cheeks are a little pink."

"No, no, it's not that," she said, feeling silly as her face burned hotter. "It's just that...you're so handsome!" she blurted. She felt embarrassed, it's not like this was the first time she had seen Sasuke, but she would always be in awe of him.

Sasuke stayed silent as he lifted the edge of the blanket and settled himself on the couch next to her, pulling her closer as he got comfortable. She couldn't see the tiny smile form on his face.

"What are you doing?"

"What? Am I not allowed to be near my girlfriend? Is she too pretty for me?"

"Hey!" she knocked him over so he was laying flat on the couch and she clung to him like a koala. She felt perfectly content and could probably lay that way forever. Being around Sasuke gave her butterflies, but it also felt like coming home. It was a strange mix of feelings, but something she was looking forward to having for the rest of her life.

Sasuke ran his fingers up and down her spine, the other hand planted firmly on her hip. She was warm and soft and he wanted her to stay there forever. It was cute how every time he leaned up to kiss a random spot on her face, she burrowed even deeper into the crook of his neck with a slight whine. It was cute how her hands were gripping his shirt so tightly. And even when his eyes fluttered shut and he dozed off, he had a feeling she looked really beautiful at that moment.

* * *

Sasuke with his soulmark: I see. (Literally)

I hope you enjoyed this and my awful puns. I'm not much for multi chap stories but this was fun to write! Charasuke came out a little bit in this story but I don't mind haha

Also sakura gives me "kiss HIS forehead, call HER daddy" vibes

Thank you everyone for waiting patiently and for reading and commenting, it really does mean a lot!


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